Arms dealers on tour with David Cameron

Published Wed 23 Feb 2011

Issue No. 2240

Tory prime minister David Cameron is touring the Middle East with a group of companies, including arms dealers. He defended the weapons of destruction tour saying, 'It’s a good thing to take strong business delegations.

'We do have strong defence relationships with countries in the region. The idea that we shouldn’t have defence relationships, I don’t understand.'

Also, more than 80 British firms are represented at the ongoing International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) in Abu Dhabi, including BAE, Thales UK and Motorola UK. The firms are offering everything from weapons and communications equipment to parachutes and uniforms.

Below we print the list of companies, including arms manufacturers, construction companies and others that have accompanied Cameron on his tour of the Middle East.

It is notable that as well as arms manufacturers he is accompanied by representatives of Cambridge, UCL, Imperial College and Bangor universities.

Students will be protesting against the links between universities and dictatorial regimes. They will demonstrate at the members' meeting of Universities UK tomorrow, Thursday. Universities UK is the organisation of university vice chancellors.

The protest begins at 2pm at Woburn House, Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9HQ. It is called by the Education Activist Network.